Op-Ed: As some workers of the world unite this May Day Tory Britain sinks further back into Dickensian times.

If you are unlucky enough to become unemployed in the UK you face a tough time.

You may have paid National Insurance contributions and tax for years but that will not count for diddly squat.

April 22 The Courier reported on a man simply referred to as 'Paul' who is enduring a three-year benefit sanction courtesy of the DWP and the new government rules and regulations.

The conclusion is they would like him to starve to death and disappear from their statistics.

If not how is he supposed to survive for three years?

Paul has already endured benefit sanctions for 16 months and has survived on food supplies from foodbanks.

Little wonder that Dodgy Dave the PM of the UK is so keen on Foodbanks.

Why Paul is in this tricky position is not clear though the Courier reports "Paul was dealt the three-year sanction after failing to adhere to the benefit requirements put in place after welfare reforms. He became unstuck after losing his job at the Hilton hotel when it was demolished to make way for the V&A. Paul was sanctioned in the first instance after his job centre advisor felt he had not completed his log book correctly."

Newly jobless individuals face a tough task meeting the strict rules to be awarded benefits that they in most cases have paid for and some.

When we all started paying into the system we did so under the illusion that there was a social security safety net in place in the UK.

In many cases that safety net has been removed.

Paid for Social Security has been rebranded Welfare to make it sound like a handout.

Even paid for pensions are classed as a hand out by many.

And all of this has been done by overpaid Tory MPs, including those accused of benefit fraud, links to off shore tax havens, and oodles of cash from secondary roles.

These same privileged MPs voted to cut a £30 a week support payment for some people with disabilities and to prevent child refugees stuck in a vulnerable situation in camps across Europe access to the UK.

If it was true Dickensian times I would call them a cads and scoundrels as it is not I have other choice words on hand.

His second sanction was handed out to him as a result of being 10 minutes late to a meeting at the job centre, something he said was the result of a bus delay. The third and final sanction, that resulted in the three-year cap on his benefits, came about after Paul was made to wait for an hour in the job centre to meet an advisor. He complained about this delay, which staff at the centre felt was aggressive, and his unemployment benefits were capped until 2018.

January 2015-The Guardian-Less than two years ago, 50-year-old David tried to take his own life in a council house in Salford. You can still see the scars when he stretches out his arm to light a roll-up cigarette. “Everything just builds up after a while. I was walking around thinking where I was going to get money from, what [was] I going to do about the kids, how was I going to survive?” says David, as his two daughters sit quietly next to him on the sofa. “I’ve been through the bins and all sorts, trying to make ends meet. I’m not proud of it, but needs must at times.”

Aggressive? Punching staff in the face is aggressive complaining about a time delay is surely a right?

He may have become angry or even sworn that I do not know but how would you have reacted confronted with the DWP song and dance show?

Paul was referred to a foodbank and admits to feeling embarrassed - “I was scared of people talking about me, if they had seen me at the foodbank. “But once I got there, and I got to meet the staff, I realised that people using the service had come from the same sort of background – if not worse.“The Trussell Trust is a great place for people to come if they need help.”

Paul thought he would only be out of work briefly but as often happens he has found it difficult to find work.

Did the DWP Dundee that applied the benefit sanction also refer Paul to the Foodbank I wonder?

These are indeed dark days.
When Neil Kinnock was still making cogent points,he warned against becoming old,being unemployed or being sick.
The lure of ermine has diluted his core beliefs,but it is true what he said (nigh on thirty years ago),which makes him a seer of sorts.
Would be interested to know if there are ways of appealing such a process,whether C.A.B. were involved at all as well.
We need to share stories like this on our Facebook pages,so we're not just talking to those likely to agree. Stir the pot,provoke righteous indignation.

Reply

Eileen

1/5/2016 08:48:13 pm

We do Steve Gibbons.

I would like to find out more but my time is limited.

Ordinary people like me born in the early 50s, living through the Thatcher years saw the writing on the wall many years ago,

We need to make sure prople know what fate could face them if they become ill, old, out of work etc

And it can happen to anyone

Reply

Hannah

4/5/2016 12:16:34 am

There were two court cases about this and every time the judges ruled it is unlawful to withhold benefit payment. I wish I could sent out millions of papers to inform people. IDS still ignored the law and would not pay out. After the first hearing he challenged the law and spend tens of thousands of pounds on appeal but the judge again ruled it is unlawful.
After reading this I will write on Twitter but if your are hard up they will not have their laptop connected. Maybe Trussel Trust could help to inform those people.
The Tories will not pay unless pushed into a hanging loop.
Mr Crabb is no better after trumpeting about the improve Universal Credit which means nothing else but more cut. He sais it is will help people to get into jobs faster. Does he ignore it or so high in the clouds he does not know there are no jobs and the unemployment increased by 61,000 in March

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